1. Field of the Invention
This invention is generally concerned with apparatus for handling materials and performing functions as controlled by a human operator, and more specifically, is concerned with an apparatus which will duplicate the actions and movements comparable to a human operator.
2. Description of Prior Art
Mechanical arms or members generally identified as manipulators or manipulator arms are very often used in particular applications wherein the environment would be too hostile or dangerous for a human to perform certain functions, for example, as in handling dangerous chemicals or highly radioactive nuclear materials. Mechanical arms have also been utilized for performing repetitive functions such as transporting an article from one position to another position during a manufacturing process. Essentially, the manipulator apparatus provides an extension of the human arm capability.
Most, if not all, of the known manipulator apparatus use mechanical elements for obtaining motions in the different sections of the manipulator arms. Essentially, these mechanical elements comprise an arrangement of gears which provide rotary motion at the different sections of the manipulator arm. Since it is rather impossible to eliminate totally backlash in the gears, the net result is that the extremity of the manipulator arm terminating in a hand or gripper, which is capable of holding an article, is not accurate enough for performing functions requiring extreme accuracy.